I will gel well with Bopanna on ATP Tour: Bhupathi

Updated: 03 January 2012 20:27 IST

Veteran Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi has exuded confidence in his partnership with Rohan Bopanna on the ATP tour but was cautious in commenting on the possibility of competing at the London Olympics with his fellow Davis Cupper.

Written by Press Trust of India

Read Time: 2 mins

Chennai:

Veteran Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi has exuded confidence in his partnership with Rohan Bopanna on the ATP tour but was cautious in commenting on the possibility of competing at the London Olympics with his fellow Davis Cupper.

"If I am to pick the Olympic team. Yes (I will play with Bopanna). But I do not. We are playing on the tour. That is the focus here. We are at Chennai Open and Olympics is seven months away and Davis Cup is three-and-a-half months away," Bhuapthi said at a press conference along with Bopanna.

"It is a new partnership with Rohan. It happens on a yearly basis for me. I have played with six different partners during the last five years. It is nothing new for me. I have been successful with all the partners that I have played.

"Rohan is a top-10 player and has proved in the last two years that he can play at the highest levels. I have no doubt and the fact is we are going to gel well and how quickly we will gel is a matter that is up to us," he said.

Bopanna said, "As Mahesh said we really need to play few matches to see what works best for us. Then only, I can tell you as to how we combine well."

"We talked about it. Each one of us individually working for the stance and weaknesses and decided this is going to be the first option. I will be playing the right side. It is obviously different to me. I had played on the other side throughout my career.

"We have taken this decision a month ago. We have been practicing accordingly since last month. I feel that I belong to the right hand side now. I think we both are going to attack pretty much.Â Both us are trying to (get) kind of very aggressive feel," Bopanna said.

On pairing with Sania Mirza at the London Olympics mixed doubles, Bopanna said, "It is still a possibility. Olympics is long way to go. We are yet to qualify for it. Sania is playing in lot of singles and doubles. Rankings are involved in that."

"As far as I know, I think you cannot just go to Olympics only for mixed doubles. You have to be part of singles or doubles teams. But if I get a chance, why not, I will go to Olympics for it."